Why target after-purchase offers
The moment after payment is the easiest time to sell one more item: the card is already out and trust is high. But the right offer depends on who just bought.
- New customers are still testing you. A small add-on, a sample or a refill at a modest discount fits.
- Returning customers already know the product. Offer the bigger pack, a refill bundle or the next product in the range.
- Tagged customers such as VIP, wholesale or subscriber can get an offer that only they see, so the VIP discount stays with your VIPs.
For more on splitting your audience, see new vs returning visitor strategy and how to create customer segments.
Where the targeting works
- Post-purchase page: the one-click offer between payment and the thank-you page. Each step of a post-purchase funnel follows the rule too.
- Checkout: the offer block inside checkout.
- Thank-you page: the offer block on the order confirmation page.
Product page offers (quantity breaks, bundles, popups) already had full targeting, including by country, B2B, new or returning customer, customer tag and link-only offers.
How to show a post-purchase offer only to returning customers
Checkout, thank-you and post-purchase offers are part of Pro ($9.99 a month, 7-day free trial).
- Create the offer. In EA Bundles & Quantity Breaks, click Create offer and pick a post-purchase, checkout or thank-you offer from the Checkout & post-purchase templates.
- Open the targeting. In step 4, open Advanced › Who sees this offer and tick "Only show this offer to some customers".
- Pick the customers. Under Customers, choose Returning customers (or New customers (first order)). To target a group, add Customer tags such as VIP.
- Add a fallback offer. Create a second offer of the same type for everyone and keep it after the targeted one, so customers who don't match still see an offer.
- Go live and test. Turn the offers on and place a test order with a customer account that has ordered before, then one with a new account.
How customers are matched
- New customer means this is their first order with your store. Returning customer means they have ordered before.
- Customer tags match when the customer has any of the tags you list.
- The post-purchase and thank-you pages look at the order's customer. Checkout looks at the customer who is logged in.
- On the post-purchase page and in checkout, Shopify identifies customers who are logged in to their account. Keep one offer for everyone after your targeted ones, so guests see an offer too. The thank-you page recognises every buyer through the order.
- When a customer doesn't match an offer, the next matching live offer shows instead. In a funnel, a step they don't match is skipped.
Offer ideas by audience
| Audience | Offer idea |
|---|---|
| New customers (first order) | A low-price add-on or travel size of what they just bought |
| Returning customers | A bigger pack or refill bundle of their usual product |
| Tag: VIP | Early access to a new product with a members-only discount |
| Tag: subscriber | An accessory that goes with the subscription |
| Everyone (fallback) | Your best-selling add-on |
Our upsell funnel guide covers how to order offers so each one leads to the next.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I show a Shopify post-purchase upsell only to returning customers?
Yes. In EA Bundles & Quantity Breaks, open the post-purchase offer, go to Advanced › Who sees this offer, tick "Only show this offer to some customers" and choose Returning customers. New customers then see your next matching offer.
Can I target post-purchase offers by customer tag?
Yes. Add one or more Customer tags, such as VIP or wholesale. The offer shows when the customer has any of them, on the post-purchase page, in checkout and on the thank-you page.
What does "new customer" mean here?
A new customer is placing their first order with your store. A returning customer has ordered before.
What do guest buyers see?
On the thank-you page the app recognises every buyer through the order. On the post-purchase page and in checkout, Shopify identifies logged-in customers, so keep an offer for everyone after your targeted offers and guests will see that one.
Can a customer get the discount of an offer they don't match?
No. The discount follows the same rule as the offer, so a VIP-only price stays with your VIP customers.
Which plan includes post-purchase offers?
Checkout, thank-you and post-purchase offers are part of Pro, a flat $9.99 a month with a 7-day free trial and no revenue share. The free plan runs one live product page or cart offer.
Show the right offer after every order
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